Vehicle-body.



Patented Apr. ls, |901. F. sTnATToN.

VEHICLE BODY.

ion med Aug. s, 1900.

(Applicat (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

Inventor. 5y @ms mn l @Atto Witnesses.

No. 672,220. Patented Apr. I6, |901;

F. STRATTN. l VEHICLE BUDY. (Application mea Aug. s, 1960.)

3 Sheets-'Sheet 2.

Witnesses. ffgcyb Q Tm.' mams Psrzns co, wwmumm WASHINGTON. n. c.

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Witnesses.

F. sTRATTN.

VEHICLE BUDY.

(Application iled Aug. 8, 1900.4l

Patented Apr. I6, |90I.

3 Sheets*5heet Inventor. mf

m70 dttomey.

UNITED STATES FRANKLIN STRATTON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

VEHICLE-BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 672,220, dated April16. 1901 Application led August 8, 1900. Serial No. 26,241. iNo model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN STRATTON, a citizen of the United States,residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented acertain new and useful Improved Body for Vehicles or the Like,of which the followingr is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved body for vehicles or the like, inwhich one or more of the seats are arranged so that they can be l foldeddown to constitute a portion ofthe body when notin use.

For a full understanding of the meritsand advantages of the inventionreference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the followingdescription.

The invention is susceptible to various changesin the form, proportion,and minor details of construction without departing from the'principleor sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosureof the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 representsa side elevation of my improvedbody with the folding seats closed on the body. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation Vwith the folding seatsin open position. Fig. 3 is a verticallongitudinal section on or about line a o., Fig. 6. Fig. 4 is a verticallongitudinal section on line b b, Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of afragment of the body, showing the rear folding seat open. Fig. 6 is atopplan View of a fragment of the body, showing the front folding seatopen. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse fragmentary section on line cc,

Fig. 3. Fig.` 8 is a vertical transverse fragmentary section on line dd, Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is a detached fragment of the stop.

In referring to the drawings for the details of construction likenumerals designate like parts.

My improved vehicle-body preferably comprises a body portion 1, having amiddle stationary or permanent seat 2 and rear and forward foldingseats. The forward seat is preferably formed substantially as shown inFig. 3, having aseat portion 3, which is hinged to the forward extremes4 of the body by the hinges 5, and a back 6, hinged to the seat portionby the hinges 7. The seat has a longitudinal slot 8 on each side, (seeFig. 6,) and a metal bar9 is pivoted at one end to the back 6 and at theopposite end to a con meeting-rod 10, which in turn is pivoted at itslower end to the wagon-body.

The dash 11 is hinged to the forward end of the body by the hinges 12,and connectingrods 13 are pivoted to the lower forward portion of theseat and the dash on each side and act to support the forward portion ofthe seat from tilting down when the seat is in the open position shownin full lines in Fig.. 3.

A strengthening-strip of metal 14 is preferably placed along the lowerinner side of each side of the wagon-body, andthe forward end is bentupon itself to form the stop 15 to limit the downward movement of thedash, a metal iinger 16 projecting from the dash and eX- tending throughthe opening 17 in the bent portion, the dash being tipped by the fingerstriking against the bent portion, substantially as shown in Fig. 3.

Portions of the dash and seat are cut away on each sideat 18 and 19,(see Fig. 2,) so that they will fold closely together.

A spring-strip 20,havingits end curled upon itself, is fastened to thedash and holds the forward seat and dash in their closed position, thecurled end of the spring being sprung over the top of the back, as shownin Fig. 1.

The rear seat 21 folds upon the rear of the body, so as to close thesame and also present a tasteful pleasing appearance to the eye, theentire seat being hinged to the rear of the body.

The rear ends of themetal strips 14 are bent upon themselves to form theportions 22, and metal strips 23 extend from the rear seat and arepivoted in the bent portions by the screws or pins 24, the openingmovement of the seat being limited by the striking of the strips againstthe bent tops of the portions 22.

The back 25 is hinged to the rear seat by the hinges 26, and the back isheld in its open position and the seat locked against a forward tiltingmovement by folding locking devices. These devices are arranged on eachside of the seat and preferably consist of a metal bar 27, pivoted atits respective ends to the seat and to the upper end of aconnecting-rod28, which is pivoted at an intermediate point to the body by the screwor pivot 29 and at its lower end to a short bar 30, which in turn ispivoted to a metal extension or lip 31, fas- The operation of the devicewill be'e'asily.y

understoodfrom the foregoing description and drawings. The seats arelocked automatically against closing when opened by the jointed rods andcannot be closed until the backs are partially folded forward. The rearseat is so hinged to the body that when in its open position ample spaceor foot-room is left between itself and the middle seat. The forwardseat and the dash are separated sufficiently when open to leave amplefoot-room and when folded together constitute a dash for the middleseat.

The principal advantages of the invention reside in the simplicity ofconstruction, the beauty of outline and shape when in either position,the opening and closing of the several portions without disturbing themiddle or permanent seat, and the positive automatic locking of theVseats in their open position.

Another peculiar advantage of the device is that the 'back of the rearseat can not'strike against the middle seat when closing, as when theback is not tilted sufficiently by the operator to clear the middle seatthe forward closing movement of the rear `seat portion automaticallybends the jointed rods toward each other, thereby turning the backdownward a sufficient distance to avoid striking the middle seat. Thejointed rods also hold j the back in rigid position ywhen the rear seata dash hinged toits forward end, a seat hinged g in the rear of thedash, connecting-rods between .the seat and dash, a back hinged to theseat, and jointed locking-rods between the back and the body,fas setforth.

5. A body-for vehicles 'and the like having a dash hinged toits forwardend, a seat'hinged in the rear of the dash, connecting-rods between theseat and dash, a back hinged to the seat, locking-rods between thebao'k'andthe body, and stops for limiting the opening movement 'ofthe's'eat, as set forth.

6. A body for vehicles and the like having a dash hinged toitsforward-end, 'a seat hinged in the rear of the dash, and havinglongitudinal slots, connecting-rods between the seat and dash, 'andjointed locking-rods passing through the vslots in the seat and pivotedat their ends to the back and body, as set forth.

17. A body for vehicles'and the like having a dash and forward and rearseats vhinged thereto; said dash and forward seat being ad'aptedto befolded 'together to forma front portion'and the rear seat to be foldedupon the end of said vbody to form a closed endv therefor, as set forth.

8. A body for vehicles and the like having a seat and dash adapted tobefoldedtogethe'r when the seat is not in use, to constitute 'a dash forthe adjacent seat, as set forth.

9. A body for vehiclesandthe like having a hinged seat and dash adaptedto be folded together when the sea-t is not in use.

FRANKLIN STRATTON. Witnesses:

L. M. BTLLINGS, G. A. NEUBAUER.

